New Look

[Everglades National Park]

The blog finally has an updated look!

I've been wanting to do something different for awhile... I have to confess I still miss the black but change is inevitable.

My break has been marvelous! I'm so far away from the sterile white-coat environment (mentally and physically) that I don't even feel like a medical student anymore. Let me list a few things I've done thus far....



(1) A few initially hectic days of doctor's appointments, hurried (but great!) friend visits, and PICKING THE PADRES UP from the airport!


(2) Some much needed therapeutic riding with a very dear friend...


(3) Playing for a childhood friend's wedding


(4) Spending lots of time outdoors - hiking!


(5) Trip to a nearby cutsy historic town


(6) Being "Aunt Joy" :-)



(7) FAMILY TIME!!

And did I mention my Camera?!?! Sigh... I love my camera... And Dad's new lenses. Tomorrow we head to the orange state to spend time with my grandmother. More stories and pictures to come!

Beautiful Summer

Well, I'm back to exam times. We already had 3, and the next two weeks are packed full of my LAST official classroom/didactic year exams for PA school - Wahooo! Now, granted I'll still have to take exams, but it's a little different as I'll be in rotations.

PLEASE go to this link (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2209708&l=1a742&id=11823683) and check out the photos from my most recent travels back home and to MI to spend time with the parents before the big M-day. And yes, I did post a picture of me... it is above ;-) Me and the new camera are in love.

Love and miss each of you!

Play Dates

My life has been filled with play dates this past week, and it's been wonderful!

Sumer and I exchanged B-day gifts, ate steak, crocheted, and had a great time catching up!

Brian and I went to the airport to pick up Mom, Dad, and Carrie. While we were waiting we stopped by the observation deck and had a nice time enjoying the beautiful weather and airplanes.

I fly on this plane a lot.

Rachael and I had so much fun riding through the woods and fields, but I'll let her tell you all about that - with the exception of these pictures :-)

Brian had a good birthday. Mom & Dad were really cute, as were the sister's family.

My other sister Martha, I, and her little boy Noah had a lot of fun playing outside, eating some chicken, and chatting!

It is good to be home!!

Home

I have Michael Buble's song running through my head right now as I look out into our front yard and watch the cars drive by the big oak trees. Last night we had tornado watches here and lots of rain. And while the bad weather is just following me across the country, it is just beautiful outside right now!

It's great to be back seeing family, getting outdoors, visiting with some very dear people. I'm feeling pretty spoiled now as before I even flew back, a good friend of mine visited me down south and we really had a great time. I ran a 10k, we ate some yummy food, went to the symphony, had lunch at church, saw some mutual friends, visited school and the surrounding hospitals.... you get the idea. I will try to find pictures to post, but you know how bad I am at that :-)

See you all soon!

Home Sweet Home

So sorry it has taken me so long to update - you'd think I was on vacation or something :-)

Anyways, it has been so nice to be back home and to get to spend time with all of you. Hiking, running, coffee, shopping, lunch, riding horses, just sitting and chatting..... everything has been wonderful!

I have even had a bunch of opportunities to play music with my church, old band, and other friends. In fact, my friend Philip had me lay down some new tracks with him, and you can hear them at his website: http://www.myspace.com/1sketch
My favorite are probably "Song in my Heart" and "You Gave Everything", I played violin, cello, and a new kind of pizzicato plucking for violin on these tracks, and I think they turned out rather well. Take a listen!

I Love My Mommy!

No one is ever to old for a hug from Mom!

There and Back Again...

Thanks so much to each and every one of you for such a lovely time back home. I'm so glad that December isn't too far away, and that I get a longer break then! But really, I love you all and really appreciate the time and effort put in to make this time so wonderful. Sigh, off to reality :-)

The WOW Factor

Daddy has finally finished the BEAUTIFUL oak chest that I was promised when I was 16. The wood came from my Grandfather's tree farm in MI and it is solid Oak. Basically we cut the trees down, took the logs to a saw mill, got rough planks and planed them and then Dad was able to start sanding and fitting them together. Lots of lots of lots of lots of work later,
here is the end result... absolutely stunning don't you think?

Dad hand-carved my name and birth year on the front

Closer view of wood grain

The last step: Dad placed cedar paneling along the bottom of the chest and carved his name
and the year into the bottom - now all my blankets will smell wonderful!